situated in a remote corner of Assam bordering Bangladesh, are staring at a grim prospect of a record low production because of serious problems ranging from erratic power supply to bad roads.
"Uncertain power supply, inadequate road connectivity, increase in cost of outputs and high cost of employment has plagued the industry here for ages," Tea Association of India (TAI), Barak valley branch chairman, P K Mishra told PTI.
Tea gardens need steady power, but in reality there is a huge problem of erratic and irregular supply forcing growers to rely on diesel which increases the cost of production due frequent increase of price, Mishra said.
Lamenting that no serious efforts have been taken to provide required power to gardens, the chairman feared this would determine the very survival of the industry in the valley.
Last year, while production in the Assam valley, a major producer, increased by 32 million kg, Barak valley together with the Dooars and Terai region was down to 2.5 million kg.
"Infrastructure plays a major role for development, but the communication network around the tea gardens in the valley is deplorable which has adversely affected procurement of inputs such as coal and packing materials," Mishra said.
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Not to speak about the interior roads, even the national highway remain unpliable most of the year particularly in the rainy season, he said.
"It is the need of the hour that the Centre appreciates the geographically disadvantageous position of the valley and takes urgent steps to tone up the infrastructure," the chairman said.
"We will also urge the Centre to view with compassion the transporation constraints and extend the policy of transport subsidy to gardens in the Barak valley," he said. MORE PTI SB PC
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